The crash-landing of a plane into the Hudson river - which avoided landing on New York city as a result, with no fatalities - was hailed as a "miracle".

New York Governor David Paterson, speaking from the New York Waterways Ferry building where some of the rescued passengers were taken, said: "We've had a miracle on 34th Street before. I believe now we've had a miracle on the Hudson."

The plane crashed at approximately 3.30pm local time (8.30pm GMT), having been in the air for only four minutes. Preliminary reports from the Federal Aviation Authority indicate it was hit by a flock of geese shortly after taking off from New York's La Guardia airport, where it was due to the make short flight to Charlotte, North Carolina.

All 155 passengers on board were rescued safely, with some suffering from minor cuts and injuries, and some from hypothermia. They were rescued by local ferries and New York police boats and divers, who took them to rescue stations on the New York and New Jersey banks of the river.

Pilot Chesley B. Sullenberger – "Sully" to his friends - was hailed a hero by passengers and bystanders alike, not least for managing to down the plane flat in the freezing waters of the Hudson, rather than crash-landing into the city.

Mr Sullenberger is understood to have walked up and down the plane twice after every passenger and crew member had disembarked to make sure that no-one was left onboard before exiting himself.

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg commended the former US Air Force pilot, who has flown with US Airways for 29 years, for his bravery and skill.

Mr Bloomberg had also managed to grab a snatched conversation with Mr Sullenberger, who was continuing to discuss the incident with flight scene investigators:

Mr Bloomberg said: "He was very careful in what he talked about and I think that's the sort of training you'd expect in a veteran pilot. They don't speculate.

"The pilot certainly did a masterful job of landing and everybody worked together. It is terrible that it happened at all but if it was going to have to happen, this outcome is as good as you could ever hope and pray for."

Although Mr Bloomberg would not speculate on the precise cause of the incident, he did rule out terrorism, something which the Federal Bureau of Investigation confirmed.

Instead all signs pointed to the fact that the Airbus A320 hit a flock of birds, thought to be geese, after its initial ascent out of La Guardia, which lies to the north-east of New York city.

The plane's captain at first considered landing at nearby Teterborough airport, in New Jersey, and also reverting to La Guardia, before deciding his only option was to land in the sub-zero waters of the Hudson, close to New York's West 50th street.

"This was the most perfect emergency landing I ever saw in my life," sanitation worker Danita Johnson told a local New York news channel, who had watched it from a nearby pier.

"If you know you are facing a ditching, the crash-landing of an aircraft on water, it is crucial that you land the plane absolutely level," said David Learmount of Flight Global magazine.

"You must not try to keep the plane airborne and if you land it too slowly you will drop out of the sky. It is quite clear that he got everything absolutely right."

Passenger Jeff Kolodjay, who was sitting in seat 23A on his way to North Carolina for a golfing holiday, agreed. "About three or four minutes into the flight, I was sitting in 23A, and the left engine just blew.

"Fire and flames coming out of it and I was looking right at it because I was sitting right there. "

Mr Kolodjay, who said that people went silent and started praying when the captain told them brace for impact, hit his head on impact with the water, but said he was "fine." "You've got to give it to the pilot he made a hell of a landing," he added.

Some eyewitnesses admitted it could have been much worse, reminiscing about Flight 90 in 1984, when an Air Florida flight crashed into Washington DC's 14 Street Bridge immediately after take-off because of heavy snow, killing all but five of its 79 occupants.

US Airways Flight 1549 was towed by tug-boats south down the Hudson, to the base of Manhattan, from where it will eventually be pulled out of the river to be inspected by flight safety investigators.

A family assistance centre was set up at the Crowne Plaza at La Guardia airport for family members of those on board, with US Airways asking those seeking information on family to call a toll-free (in the US) number at 1-800-679-8215.